Life-preserver.



. J. J. PUSKANEN.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI. 19:4.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915!.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

' JOHN JACOB rUsKANnN, or oHIsHotM, Minnnsorrm T LIFE-PRESERVEB.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. PUSKANEN,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Chisholm, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Life-Preserver; and I do hereby n One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a collapsible water-proof cloth receptacle having a collapsible cover therefor, said preserver having in the .bottom means or weights to hold the receptacle substantially erect, regardless of the weather and the condition of the water.

Another object of the invention is the pro. vision of pneumatic means arranged substantially one-third of the height of the preserver from the top thereof, which with the cooperation of the'weights in the-bottom of the receptacle act to maintain the receptacle substantiallyerect. V

I Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic valve arrangement to prevent the intrusion of water into the receptacle, in case heavy large waves of the water tend to submerge the top of the life preserver. This automatic valve instantly closes as the water rises incident to said waves; I 7

Another object of theinvention is to im-. prove, and render more efiicient, desirable and practical the construction of life preserver illustrated, described andclaimed in the U. S. Patent No..1,059,392, issued April 22, 1913 to John J. Puskanen.

In practical fields the details of construction may be subjected to alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved life preserver constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same distended. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved. life preserver showing the same collapsed. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the cover skeleton frame. Fig. 4 isa detail view in perspective of the elbow 25 and the ball valve carried by the skeleton cover frame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

V Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,600.

Fig.5 is a view inv section showing the lower portion of the receptacle constructed with legs to receive the legs ofv the occupant of the lifepreserver, inorder that the-person may walk. Fig. 6 isa sectional View on line 66 of Fig. 3. Fig.7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the receptacle as a whole receptacle at, the lower extremity thereof, a

suitable weight shown in dotted lines as at 5 inFig. 1 is provided, acting to hold the J air tubes or bags 6 together with the weight- 5 hold thelife preserver. substantially vertical, and the tubes themselves act to maintain the preserver afloat, with the upper portion 3 of the receptacle extending be-' yond the surface of the -water. The waterproof material of the upper portion 3' of the receptacle is secured to a rectangular frame7, therebeing securing 1 strip 8 to hold said material to said frame.

are pins or rods 13, which also extend through the slots 14 of the outer ends of v the strips or bars 15, thereby pivotally but loosely connecting the bars 15 to the frame 9. The inner ends of' said bars 15 are constructed with slots 16, through which a circular rod 17 extends, thereby loosely pivv oting the inner ends of the bars to the head member 18. This head member comprises the three parts 19, and 21 secured together as at 22. The part 19 has slight recesses as shown at 23. As shown in Fig. 2 the head member may be collapsed clownwardly inside the correspondingly shaped frames 7 and 9, owing to the provision of the slots 14 and 16 of the bars or strips 15. When the head member is so collapsed the extremities of the bars or strips 15 are received in the slight recesses 28. The head member is constructed with a central opening to receive the tube 241, the upper portion of which terminates in an overhanging and downwardly disposed tubular section 25, the part 26 of which is smaller in diameter, that is, in cross section than the part 27, in which a. ball valve 28 is normally supported by the intersecting strips 29. In case the cover frame as well as the upper portion 3 of the life preserver are entirely submerged owing to the rolling of large waves, the ball valve will rise and lodge in the part 26 of said tube, which part 26 is of a diameter corresponding exactly to the diameter of the spherical or ball valve, which will prevent said valve from passing entirely through the part 26 when the water rises, said ball valve being in the form of a float. In this manner the rising of the water is prevented from passing into the life preserver. Extending about the tube 24: is an annular collar 30, between which and the head member the waterproof material 10 of the cover frame is arranged, said collar being secured in place as at 31.

In Fig. 5 a detail view is illustrated, showing the lower portion 2 of the receptacle constructed in two parts or similar to trouser legs designated by the characters 32, there being the usual weight 83 acting similar to the weight 5, to maintain the equilibrium or poise of the life preserver, while the lower portion is submerged in the water. By constructing the lower portion 2 in this manner a person is enabled to walk while on the deck of the ship, and when in the water will permit the occupant to use his legs in a suflicient manner to tread water, so as to move about, in lieu of remaining substantially in one place. Any suitable latches as at 35 may be utilized for connecting two rectangular frames 7 and 9 detachably, that is, after the person has gotten upon the interior of the receptacle.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a life preserver, a receptacle constructed of waterproof material comprising a body portion, a frame at the upper mouth end of said receptacle, a closure or cover frame having waterproof material, and skeleton members pivotally mounted in the cover frame and adapted to collapse, and a head member carried by said skeleton members and provided with an overhanging and downwardly extending tube including a ball valve.

2. In a life preserver, an elongated collapsible receptacle having a gravity member in its lower end and pneumatic floating means adjacent its upper portion the upper end'of the receptacle being open and provided with a collapsible cover or closure member detachably connected thereto, and an overhanging and downwardly extending tubular member provided with a ball valve carried by said collapsible closure member, said collapsible closure member comprising a rectangular frame and a head member, said head member having slight recesses in its annular wall, said frame having pivot rods, a plurality of collapsible strips having slots in their ends, the slots at the outer end receiving the pivot rod, and an annular ring extending through the slots of the inner end of said slips, the extremities of said inner end engaging said recesses.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN JACOB PUSKANEN. Witnesses:

JOHN GELBERG, EDWARD AHONEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

